


Come What May

by firefright



Series: Family Matters [8]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Background Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle - Freeform, Background Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent - Freeform, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic, Family, Intersex Omegas, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Jason Todd, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnancy, background Roy Harper/Koriand'r
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2020-07-31 05:29:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20109901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefright/pseuds/firefright
Summary: Dick and Jason have been together for years now. Through thick and thin, they've had each other's backs, and done their best to raise Jason's son, Damian, away from the sensibilities of the League. But now Dick's ready for more. The only question is, is Jason? And once he does make that decision, how they make it through the next nine months without everything else falling apart around them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! So this week is Omega Jason Todd Week, and I figured I would be remiss in my duty not to participate. Plus, one of the prompts for Day 7 is Family/Domestic, and that's all the excuse I needed to finally get this next story in the Family Matters-verse into motion.
> 
> For any new readers to the series, I highly recommend you read everything preceding this story first for it to make sense. Particularly A Matter of Family and And Then There's You. Otherwise, enjoy!

In the years since Dick first took Jason and Damian there, the Fly-By Gym has changed not one bit. It’s still the same ugly building it always was. Still barely visible as what it is to anyone looking at it from the outside, and at the front desk, there’s still the same elderly receptionist sitting there, wearing variations on the same ugly paisley sweater Jason first saw her in every time they visit, almost like she’s part of the building’s decor herself.

The only difference is, she now knows and greets them all by name, not just Dick.

“Slow down, Damian.” Jason says, as his son, eager as always to be here, starts trotting off down the corridor ahead of them to the trapeze room without so much as a by-your-leave.

At eight, he’s definitely changed since the first time they came here. Still bigger than most kids his age, taller and stronger, too, he’s a far cry from the small babe Jason first held in his arms, or even the overexcitable toddler he was four years ago. The top of his head now reaches Jason’s chest, while his face has grown sharper, more angular, losing a fair amount of the round softness it once possessed.

Just like his biological sire. A fact made even more apparent when Damian turns back to look at him, jade eyes bright against the warm brown tone of his skin.

“Why?” he asks, impatiently, leaning back on his heels at the same time.

“Because,” Jason says, jerking his thumb back behind him at where Dick is talking to the receptionist. “Your dad still needs to finish paying.”

Damian pulls a face. “He doesn’t need me there to do that.”

Jason raises an eyebrow. “No, but you do need him with you if you think you’re getting up on that rigging, so hold your horses, mister.”

This time, Damian scoffs, but also doesn’t move any further. Shaking his head, Jason turns back to his mate (officially) of over a year now and asks, “Done yet, Dick?”

“Just about.” Dick takes his receipt from the receptionist. “Thanks, Magda.”

“No problem, Dickie.” she smiles at them. “You three have fun in there.”

“Oh, we always do.”

The moment Damian sees that they’re done, he takes off again, and Jason sighs, shifting the bag of clean clothing ready for after their workout he’s carrying over his shoulder as Dick steps up beside him to take his hand. “That kid is getting worse every day.”

Dick chuckles, “Nah, he’s not so bad. Just excited, like always.”

“Well, maybe he wouldn’t be this _excited_ if someone hadn’t put the idea of doing a quadruple somersault in his head.”

“Hey, that you cannot blame me for.” Grinning, Dick rubs his thumb over the modest bonding ring wrapped around Jason’s index finger. “It’s Tim’s fault for telling him the story of how he figured out the identities of Batman and Robin.”

“The little twerp,” Jason grumbles. “He’s lucky he has Kryptonian protection again, else I’d kill him.”

“So much love.” Dick leans over as they walk to nose his temple. “You really have turned into a big brother. Now, c’mon, before Damian makes a comment about us being old and slow again.”

“Speak for yourself, Mr. Almost-Thirty-Year-Old.”

“Urgh,” Dick groans, “Please don’t remind me.”

Inside the trapeze room, Jason takes a backseat as his mate and son clamber up onto the rigging. This is always their time together more than his. It has been since the start. When he comes here with them, it’s most often just to be an observer to the fun rather than take part. Which is no bother to him, since it’s always a delight to watch Dick in his natural habitat, as well as Damian grow ever more skilled at following in his footsteps by the day.

Though hopefully he won’t follow in them _too_ far.

“Okay, Dami,” Dick is saying from his side. “We’re starting with some simple swings and passes to warm up, all right? Nothing fancy.”

“I know, Dad,” Damian says impatiently. “You say the same thing every time.”

“Never hurts to remember the basics, buddy.”

Jason smiles. Even now, hearing Damian call Dick ‘dad’ puts a warm feeling in his chest. There’d been no push or encouragement for him to do so after they got together. Indeed, he knows Dick would have been quite content to go on being ‘Uncle Duck’ to his son forever if he’d had to. But then, one day, the word had just slipped out from Damian’s lips over dinner, and after a small amount of flustered reaction on all sides, stayed for good. To the point where Uncle Duck is now just a fond memory to tease them both over whenever the opportunity comes up.

In front of Jason, practice begins, and after a few minutes of watching them work, he takes a seat nearby on an unoccupied mat and pulls out his phone to check his messages.

There’s one from Tim, asking if Jason still needs him to babysit next week, and if so, would he mind Conner coming along with him. Jason considers it for a brief moment before replying yes. He trusts Tim, and knows that for him at least, Conner’s return to the land of the living a year ago is still so raw and new that the pair of them take every chance possible to be together. Conner’s not a bad kid, either, from what assessment of his character Jason’s been able to make on the few occasions they’ve met. And besides, Damian loves seeing Krypto (even if Jason finds it a tad annoying that they have to have the ‘Reasons we can’t have a flying dog of our own’ discussion with his son every time he visits).

That question answered, Jason moves onto the next message after rolling his eyes at the grateful string of emojis Tim immediately sends back at him in response. Stephanie, the only other member of the Dead Robins Club as Jason likes to call it, wants to know if he’ll join her on patrol tonight in the East End since he’s in town, which honestly Jason’s not sure about. Sometimes they end up staying the night in Gotham, but most often not. He sends her an emphasised maybe, just to make sure she doesn’t go getting carried away on the possibility.

Unlike Superboy, Steph’s return to the land of the living had been far more contentious among the family. Mostly because, as it turned out, she’d never actually been dead, but instead smuggled away by Leslie Thompson to Africa so she could recover in peace from the torture Black Mask put her through during the great gang war in Gotham.

As a third party to all the grief and pain everyone else had suffered in the wake of her ‘death’ and then return, Jason had at first been antagonistic towards her for Tim’s sake, but then after a little while he’d spoken to her, gotten to know her and, eventually, empathised with her decision on more levels than one.

Now he likes Steph a lot. She’s a kid from the worst parts of Gotham, like him. Grew up with a shitty dad, like him. They both have a similar sense of humour and preference for forthright communication, and it’s nice sometimes to have someone else out there who knows where he’s coming from. Why he is the way he is, and vice versa.

Plus, it had been a lot easier to be angry at Bruce when it also came out that he’d know the truth about her whereabouts all along, and Tim ended up sitting in Jason’s kitchen in the middle of the night when Dick was away, filled with a powerful need to rant at someone who would not in any way be inclined to excuse their shared mentor’s actions on principle.

The last message he has outstanding is from Donna Troy, regarding the not-so-surprise birthday party they have planned for Dick next week. She’s handling the side of things that involve wrangling all the eligible Titans into being at the right place at the right time, while Jason keeps his attention wholly focused on the family in Gotham and Bludhaven. At least as much as Alfred will let him, anyway.

Going over details with her occupies Jason for the next ten minutes, until an angry shout pulls his attention away from his phone and back to what’s going on in front of him.

Damian is in the net, and the frustration is clear in his face as he fights to sit up. “I almost did it that time!” he cries up at Dick, who’s pulling himself back up onto his bar from a hanging down position. “I could’ve done it!”

“I know, little D.” Dick tries to soothe him, while Jason looks on, “You just need to keep on practicing and you will.”

“You could already do it when you were my age, though.” Damian complains, and again, Jason feels a hot flush of irritation at Tim for telling Damian about the quadruple somersault in the first place.

“That’s because Dick didn’t just do this for fun once a week, Damian.” he intercedes, putting his phone away and standing up from the mat to approach the rigging. “He did it every day at the circus. It was a job for him back then, not just a hobby.”

Damian pulls a face at his words, which is not unexpected. “Then I want to do it every day, too.”

“Would that we could, Dami.” Now dropping down from the bar, Dick lands in the net beside him. “Unfortunately, me and your mom have other jobs we need to do these days.”

“Then let me come by myself.”

Jason snorts. “A: that’s against the rules of the gym, and B: even if it wasn’t, you’re eight. Not happening, monster.”

Damian growls, ducking Dick’s good natured attempt to ruffle his hair. “That’s not fair.”

_Life’s not fair_, Jason almost replies, but refrains. It might be true, but it’s not a helpful statement either. “I know,” he acknowledges instead. “But that’s the way it is. When you’re older, you can come practice by yourself, but for now you need your dad with you. Or me, if you want to join one of the actual classes they have here.” Which honestly, Jason can only imagine Damian would find frustrating. He’s not the most social around other kids even at the best of times. “You’ll do it either way, but you need patience first.”

His son doesn’t look impressed. “I hate being patient.” he says.

“Yeah, well, me and you both, kiddo.” Jason smiles at him.”Now c’mon, you’ve still got some time left. Get back up there and try again.”

Damian hesitates, which is enough time for Dick to successfully ruffle his hair on the second try. “C’mon, Dami, your mom’s right, and Graysons never give up.”

Jason snorts, “Neither do Todds, you ass.”

Dick winks at him, but the words are enough. Rolling off the net, Damian makes his way back to the ladder to try again with Dick in tow, and with peace at last restored, if only temporarily, Jason heads back to his customary position to keep watching them.

* * *

Later, they’re all sat in the nearby ice-cream parlour, enjoying a well earned cone of their preferred treat, as is also now tradition after Dick and Damian finish their practice.

“Aunt Cass told me they have cat cafes and an owl cafe in Tokyo.” Damian is saying. “How come Gotham doesn’t have any?”

“Because we’d never get you out of them if it did, little D.” Dick says, mint chocolate chip running down his chin. “It’s a public service.”

Jason rolls his eyes before handing his mate a napkin to clean himself off with. “More like Selina would rob any cafe of cats two hours after it opened.” He eats another mouthful of neopolitan. “Don’t know about the owls, though.”

Dick chuckles, “Maybe they’re afraid the Court will get them.”

“I wouldn’t stay that long,” Damian says, as Jason kicks Dick under the table. None of them need reminding of that mess, even now. It was bad enough when it happened. “Pennyworth would get jealous if I spent too much time with other cats.”

“True that, he is pretty possessive over you.” Jason smiles, tucking a strand of coarse black hair back behind Damian’s ear. It’s getting long again, and he makes a mental note to ask Alfred if he’ll cut it for him later.

“That’s because I take such good care of him.” There’s a sly tilt to Damian’s head as he looks up at Jason. “Just like I’d take good care of a dog.”

Dick audibly snorts into his ice-cream. “Smooth, kiddo.”

“Oh yeah?” Jason says, fighting not to smile himself. Damian really is growing up to be the child of all his parents. “Cos, y’know, dogs are a lot more work. You gotta walk them at least twice a day, rain or shine. No excuses.”

“I could do that.” Damian says immediately.

“And pick up their poop every time they go,” Dick joins in. “Dogs aren’t like cats, they can’t go in a litter box like Pennyworth can. You’d have to take it outside whenever it wants to go. Even in the middle of the night.”

Damian predictably looks a little less enthusiastic at this argument. “I could do that.” he still says.

“You also need to consider Pennyworth may not like having a dog around. He’s never met one before.”

“Tt.” Damian snorts, “He’s my cat. If I like the dog he will, too.”

“Doesn’t quite work like that, Dami,” Jason says, dryly.

“Can I please get a dog?”

Jason sighs internally, meeting Dick’s gaze across the table. His mate raises his eyebrows.

“... we’ll think about it.” Jason reluctantly says.

It’s a non-answer. The kind Jason himself used to hate hearing as a kid, but now that he’s a parent himself he’s coming to understand its use more and more. It’s hard to say no to Damian directly when he really wants something. Even when that something is a thing Jason can’t just immediately say yes to, either.

Damian doesn’t look happy, an emotion backed by the sour note note his scent takes on. He’s soon distracted, though. “Can I have some money to play _Cheese Vikings_?” he asks, pointing at the arcade machine in the corner of the store.

“Sure thing, Dami.” Dick is reaching into his pocket before Jason can say anything and passing Damian some coins, who wastes no time in taking them and dashing off with a muffled “Thank you!” shouted back over his shoulder.

“Dick,” Jason says, reproachfully.

“What? It’ll distract him from thinking about the dog.” Dick shrugs, then moves chairs to sit directly next to Jason on his side of the table. “Kid is getting more demanding by the day.”

“Tell me about it.” Watching Damian feed the coins into the machine, Jason sighs again. Out loud this time.

“You okay?” Jason closes his eyes as he feels Dick brush their heads together, subtly scenting him. He smells faintly of soap from the gym’s showers, and Jason feels a familiar urge to cover it all up with his own in a way that would be highly inappropriate for where they are.

“Yes,” he says, managing to restrain himself. “Just… wish he’d stop growing up so fast, you know? Everything was so much easier when he was smaller.”

“I know.” Dick kisses his temple. “I miss when he was little, too. But you can’t deny he’s growing up well. I totally think he’ll master the quadruple somersault if he keeps at it.”

“You better be,” Jason grumbles. “I don’t want you giving him false hope if he won’t be able to do it, Dick.”

“When have you ever known me to give anyone false hope?”

“With the Titans, sure, you’re a drill sergeant. But with Damian,” Jason nods in their son’s direction, “You’re soft, Dick. You know you are. That’s why I always end up being the disciplinary parent whenever he does something wrong.”

“Not always.” Dick chuckles, “But okay, yeah, guilty as charged. Sometimes the whole dad thing still feels new to me, I guess.”

“Mm.” Jason leans his head back against Dick’s. “Well, you need to hurry up and get used to it, because when he hits puberty, my plan is to let him be all yours.”

“Ouch.” Dick grins, turning his face to nuzzle his cheek. “Sometimes I forget how vicious you are, Mr. Todd.”

“Only as much as I have to be.”

They sit for the next couple of moments in comfortable silence while Damian plays his game, before Dick awkwardly clears his throat. “So, talking of missing when Damian was small, maybe now we could talk about—”

“Dick,” Jason closes his eyes. Just like that, they’re right back on the subject of questions he’s struggling to give either a clear yes or no to. “I told you before, I need some time to think about that.”

“I know, but—”

“You promised you weren’t going to pressure me about it.”

“I’m not.” Dick says at once, a little sharply. “I just… I want you to know I’m serious about it, is all. If you want it, too.”

Jason grimaces. “I’m not saying I don’t.” God knows, he should have expected the conversation to come up at some point the longer their relationship went on. “But it’s a big fucking committment, Dick. Bigger than letting Damian have a dog. And I’m the one who’d have to take a break from everything else in our lives to do it while you get to carry on as normal.”

“Hardly as normal, Jay.” Dick frowns. “I know the bigger part is going to be on you for the first year or so, at least, but I’ll do everything I possibly can to help you through it, as well. I’m not just going to, y’know, wham bam, thank you, ma’am. This is something we’d do together, the same as everything else.”

He puts his hand over Jason’s, rubbing the ring there again.

Jason feels his heart briefly soften inside his chest. “It’s not just about us. If we do it, it’d affect Damian, too.”

“You don’t think he’s mature enough to handle a younger brother or sister?”

“I don’t know.” Jason looks down at the table. What’s left of his ice-cream has now mostly melted in its little tub. “Maybe. He’s used to being an only child, Dick. At his age, it could be difficult for him to suddenly have to learn to share our attention.”

“He learned how to share you with me.” Dick smiles. “Remember when you were worried about that, too? Not to mention, you, me, Tim… we all learned how to have siblings at an advanced age after being only children for most of our lives. I think he’ll be fine if you just give him the chance.”

On some level, Jason knows Dick’s right. Damian might be jealous for a while, but he would learn to adjust in the end. Really, all the hesitation Jason’s feeling is coming from within himself. Concerns about the necessity of giving up being a vigilante if he goes through with having another child after fighting so hard to become one again, as well as the lingering memories of what he went through when carrying Damian before.

With all that in mind, the fact that he quite possibly — no, definitely, _wants_ what Dick’s proposing doesn’t make it any easier to agree to.

(Why is he still like this? he wonders. Why still, after all this time…)

Jason leans back in his chair, then rubs his face. “Just give me a bit longer, okay, Dick? Until after your birthday, at least. Once that’s done, I promise I’ll have an answer for you.”

“Okay, Jay.” Dick’s expression is far too understanding, and his grip stays firm on Jason’s hand. “I promise, I won’t say anything more about it until then.”

“Thanks, Dick.”

“Hey,” Dick leans over to nose his cheek again, before kissing it. “You know I won’t do anything ridiculous like leave you if you say no, don’t you? Not now or later, or even if you decide you don’t want any more kids at all. I love you, Jay. Always.”

Jason knows. Or likes to think he knows. But it still feels good to hear Dick say it out loud. Still reassures the parts of him that will never stop fretting over whether or not he’s good enough for him.

With a jerk of his head, he nods his understanding, then bumps his own nose back against Dick’s as extra reassurance while breathing in his mate’s scent. That beloved sharp-sweet caramel does everything words can’t for him, even now.

“C’mon,” he mutters finally, “We should grab Damian and head up to the manor already. He can play more videogames there.”

“And play them on Bruce’s dime.” Dick agrees wholeheartedly, before drawing back and calling to Damian, “Hey, munchkin, finish up over there! We’re heading out soon as you’re done!”

Damian doesn’t answer him directly, just scowls at the screen, but the next time he hits a ‘Game Over’ he turns from the machine and dutifully trots back over to them. Then, a touch unexpectedly, also presses himself against Jason’s side once he stands up.

The rest of the tension Jason is feelings melts in seconds as he runs his fingers over Damian’s hair, then gently grips the back of his neck. It’s getting rarer for him to do this now, and every time it happens, he can’t help but feel like he has to make the most of it. At least as much as he can before Damian gets restless and pulls away again.

“Okay there, little man?” he murmurs, as together they follow Dick out the door.

Damian shrugs nonchalantly, but there’s a yawn that follows the motion that’s far more telling.

“Yeah, me too.” Jason squeezes his neck again comfortingly. “Don’t worry, there’s a comfortable couch waiting up at the manor with your name on it.”

And knowing Alfred, enough dinner to feed an army as well. That’s something they can all look forward to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More family feels. Hope you all enjoy!

“So you gonna do it?” Roy asks, when Jason tells him.

“I don’t know yet,” Jason answers, “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

It’s three days before Dick’s birthday, and they’re sitting in Roy’s favourite New York diner, enjoying a light lunch. Or at least in Jason’s case it’s a light lunch. Roy on the other hand, is eating something with enough fat that Jason swears he can feel the grease from it hitting his arteries via osmosis across the table.

“Hm,” Roy stuffs a handful of fries in his mouth, chewing while he thinks. “What’s your gut telling you?”

Jason grimaces. “That I hate Dick for putting me in this position.”

Roy immediately rolls his eyes and snorts. “Meaning that, yes, you want it, but you’re doing your usual thing of coming up with every reason why it could be a bad idea first instead of just letting yourself admit that.”

“Fuck off.”

The words are rote, spoken without venom as Jason prods at the remains of his sandwich. Roy is right, of course, which is what Jason both loves and hates about him, and why when these sorts of decisions come up in his life, he’s still the first person he thinks to talk to. No one else around gets him quite like Roy does. No one else understands exactly what he’s been through, especially on the parenting front. “I just don’t know if we’re ready yet.”

“Who the hell is ever ready for a kid?” Roy wipes his mouth on a napkin. “I know I wasn’t when Lian happened, and you damn well weren’t with Damian.”

“That’s different. We didn’t plan Lian and Damian.”

“No, we sure as hell didn’t, but we both managed fine with them all the same.”

“Speak for yourself.” Jason purses his lips. “Some days, I still don’t feel like I know what I’m doing with him. And that’s with Talia now having agreed to stay the fuck away from Damian until I say otherwise. Before that…” He rubs his forehead, shaky as always about the memories. About essentially abandoning his son for vengeance, then almost losing him again only a couple years later.

“Well,” Roy says, observing this, “Lucky for you, your next kid won’t be a secret assassin lovechild, and you’ll have your experiences with Damian to fall back on with them. You only fly blind on the first one, right?”

“I guess.” Jason answers, somewhat dubiously.

“Plus, we were both alone when we had them.” Roy adds, raising an eyebrow, “You won’t be with this one, if you decide to do it. You’ll have Dick, Damian, the rest of your family. And me.”

“You?”

“What? You think I won’t take the chance to experience the joys of pregnancy again vicariously through you?” Roy jokes playfully. “All the fun, none of the morning sickness and mood swings.”

“You mean the morning, noon and night sickness.” Jason growls, then reaches up to rub his head. “That is the most misleading name, I swear to god.”

“Tell me about it.” Roy snorts. Then sobering slightly, looks Jason over while sipping at his soda. “All the stuff they don’t bother to tell you in sex ed, huh?”

“I don’t think I ever had sex ed. Not in school, anyway. Just what Alfred told me at home.” And Alfred, as well meaning as he was, was a beta who had never had a mate or biological child of his own. He didn’t know all the ins and outs of pregnancy. Most of what Jason can remember learning from him had to do with heats and contraception, not what followed after. “Everything I learned about pregnancy, I learned while already pregnant. And even then, I didn’t get it all right.”

“Neither did I.” Roy says, reassuringly. “Fuck, I remember buying every pregnancy book I could get my hands on after I left Checkmate, and there was still so much shit that took me by surprise. Might as well have wiped my ass with half of them, for all the good they did.”

“That’s really reassuring, Roy. Thanks.”

“My point is,” Roy continues, flicking a fry at him in retaliation for the sarcasm, “If we could both do it then, at the lowest point in our lives, you can definitely do it now. You’ve got a great mate, a supportive family, friends, and a stable home.”

“I know I _can_ do it,” Jason says, “I just…”

“Just what?”

Jason sighs. “You’re right, all that keeps going through my head is all the ways it could go wrong. Not just for me, but all of us. I don’t want to do this and… and then either of us end up regretting it. Dick because he realises he’s not really ready to deal with having a baby, me because I’m not ready to get stuck on the sidelines of the family business again. And Damian…”

“And Damian what?” Roy prods him, more gently.

Jason swallows. “What if he gets jealous? What if he resents the new baby, and me and Dick for having it.” Then despite knowing it’s stupid, he blurts out, “What if Talia tries to take advantage of that?”

Roy’s eyes narrow. “Jaybird…”

“I know it’s stupid. I know. I just…”

“Need someone to tell you that?”

Jason clenches his jaw, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on his plate and not on Roy.

He hears him sigh quietly. “Jay, that kid loves you to death. It’d take a damn sight more than a younger sibling coming along for Talia to change that and lure him away from you. You know that. Also yeah, he’ll probably resent the new baby, at least a little bit, but from what I know, that’s common for most kids when getting a younger sibling. He’ll get over it eventually.”

“Like I did with Tim?” Jason says, humourlessly.

Roy rolls his eyes, “Yeah, no, not at all like that. You were a grown-ass man lashing out. Kids adapt quicker.”

“Asshole.”

Roy throws him a winning smile. “And as for Dick, I know him the same as you do. He’s always wanted a family. He won’t give up on that dream just because it might get a little difficult along the way. To be honest, I think you’re more likely to end up annoyed at him for wanting to do too much than not enough. You know how much of a control freak he can be.”

Yes, Jason does know that. Intimately.

“And what about me?”

Roy’s foot nudges his under the table. “That one I can’t answer. Only you know whether or not you’re ready to put your night job on hold for another kid again yet. But it’s not now or never with either issue, Jay. You’re only twenty-six, you’ve got plenty of time still before one of them becomes a no-go.”

Jason snorts at the phrasing, but then finally lets himself look back up. It feels good to hear the words said by someone other than Dick. To have someone else tell him, in no uncertain terms, when he’s worrying over nothing. “Thanks, Roy.”

“Don’t mention it. Now pay me five dollars.”

“You taking notes from _Peanuts_ now?”

“Nah, Lucy only charged five cents. I’ve got bigger goals.” Then, curiously, Roy slumps back in his seat, toying with a napkin before starting to fold it. “You know, Kori and I talked about doing it before, too.”

Jason blinks. “Having another kid?”

“Yeah, about a year ago, actually. Not long after you and Dick tied the knot. Lian asked about having a sibling and well...” Roy doesn’t meet his eyes. “Course, shit’s a bit more complicated for us than it would be for you and him.”

“Because she’s…?”

“An alien. One that’s the equivalent of an omega to her people, yeah.”

Jason doesn’t know quite what to say, which makes him feel terrible considering how easily Roy had been able to advise him on his own problems. “I guess that would make it difficult,” he eventually manages.

Roy’s lips quirk up in a half-smile. “No kidding. Neither of us have the necessary equipment to knock the other up, meaning we’re fucked before we even start. Or I guess, not fucked, if you want to get technical.”

Jason chews his lip. He recognises the attempt to deflect real pain via a bad joke from his own vast repertoire of coping mechanisms. “Don’t the Tamaraneans have any fancy tech that could help you out on it?”

“Kori says maybe, but that would involve actually going to Tamaran, and y’know, her and her sister…” Roy stops his folding of the napkin briefly to draw his finger across his throat. “It wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“That sucks.” Jason says, with feeling.

“Tell me about it. We’ve tried looking into some alternatives, too. Mostly sperm donors, since Kori has her heart set on getting to carry a child of her own, which is fine by me. I’ve already done it once. But that’s difficult, too. With her past, her culture… let’s just say she’s not very comfortable with the human solution of going to a clinic and picking someone anonymous out of a book, just based on what physical attributes and career they have.”

“You could ask someone you know to do it instead?”

“We could,” Roy agrees, fingers moving faster, as the napkin now starts to take on the familiar shape of a plane. “And we’ve discussed that. But it’d need to be someone we both trust and like, and well, at least the first option that came to mind for both of us is out the window.”

“Who’s the first—” Jason stops suddenly, cutting himself off mid-sentence. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

He winces. “Is that why you’ve never talked to me about this before?”

Roy laughs roughly, “Little bit. Though to put your mind at ease, the fact he’s with you isn’t the only reason we dismissed the idea right away. Dick is too… you know. He’d say yes out of wanting to help and doing what he thinks is the right thing, but once the kid’s around? I don’t think he’d have it in him to stay uninvolved.”

Jason wishes he could argue that. Hell, he wishes he could argue the idea that he’d be comfortable himself with Dick doing such a thing for their friends. But on both accounts, he can’t. Dick would start out with the best intentions, they both would, but in the end…

“I’m sorry, Roy.”

“No, don’t…” Roy drops what he’s doing with the napkin to reach up and rub his face. “I didn’t tell you that to make you feel bad, Jason. You don’t owe me any apologies.”

“It just seems unfair. All the shit you put up with from me,” Jason taps his fingers against the table, his throat tight. “Feels like I should be able to help you, too.”

“You help me by listening. That’s why I told you this, I just want someone else to know what we’re going through. I’m not expecting you to come up with any miracle solutions for me.” Shaking his head, Roy sits back again. “Besides, even if we do find a donor we both like, someone who’d agree to do it, there’s still the elephant in the room.”

“What elephant?”

“I’m human, she’s Tamaranean. God knows if our species are even genetically compatible to start with.”

Jason sucks air in sharply. Suddenly, his own issues seem terrible insignificant in comparison. “It worked for Lois and Clark.”

“True, but Kryptonians are virtually indistinguishable from humans anyway. Tamaraneans not so much.” Roy picks the napkin back up and goes back to folding it. “We’ll either figure it out or we won’t. It’s not a dealbreaker for us. We’ve already got Lian, after all, and if we can’t find a way around it I guess we’ll just have to… I don’t know, get her a puppy or something instead.”

Jason smiles wryly. “If you get Lian a puppy, that means I’ll definitely have to get Damian one too.”

“You may have to get him one anyway, as an apology for the incoming sibling.” Roy chuckles. Then upon completing his plane, immediately lifts it up and throws it at Jason’s forehead.

“Hey!”

Roy smirks at him for a moment, then his expression softens. “I meant what I said at the start, though. Listen to your gut on this one, Jaybird. It knows what you want better than the bullshit your head puts you through.”

“I’ll try to remember that.” Jason says, throwing the paper plane back at him in retaliation. Though unlike Roy’s attempt, his own makes it nowhere near its target, instead landing sadly halfway across the table next to the salt. He clears his throat uncomfortable before adding, “And you know, you can always talk to me, about anything. You don’t… this isn’t a one-sided deal, me always complaining to you and never the other way around. If there is ever anything I can do to help you out, I will.”

“Like flying across the galaxy and telling Blackfire to get her head out of her ass?” Roy asks, reaching to retrieve the plane.

Jason immediately pulls a face at the thought. “How about I just buy you a slice of pie for now, instead?”

“Fair enough.”

* * *

The next morning, after dropping Damian off at school, Jason finds himself sitting on their bed and watching Dick sleep.

He’d come home extra late last night, after spending hours chasing the Double Dare sisters all across town, and had barely the energy left to strip off his suit and mumble that to Jason before crashing down. He hadn’t even showered, and as a result stinks of sweat and the powder they use inside the suits to keep them from chafing their skin.

Jason doesn’t mind it, though. Rank as it is, the smell is a familiar one. Comforting, almost. And it doesn’t take away from the way Dick looks now, utterly relaxed and graceless in sleep. His mouth is open, his hair askew. His eyelashes, thick and sweeping, brush lightly across the top of his cheeks. He’s snoring as well, a testament to how deeply he’s out, and when put together, the effect is simply…

It’s devastating. Completely devastating. Jason feels the sensation of love in his chest like a balloon blown up beyond capacity. Sometimes it feels like his ribs might break for it, his heart burst. Everything he struggles to emote to Dick’s face comes out easier when he’s asleep. When there’s no one else around to witness the depths of how deeply Jason’s fallen for him.

Reaching out, he tenderly brushes back the hair from Dick’s face, and not for the first time, finds himself wondering what it would be like to have a baby with him. How protective Dick would be during his pregnancy and the early days after the birth, how eager to please him. How that baby would look, with Dick’s thick raven hair, warm brown skin and dark blue eyes. His smile, too, the elegant line of his jaw, his expressive brow and, when it’s older, his lean and powerful build.

Perhaps it should bother Jason that the hypothetical child in his head is all Dick and none of him, but in truth he doesn’t mind it. He knows they’d be more beautiful that way.

Responding to his touch, Dick shifts in his sleep to nuzzle closer to Jason’s thigh. It’s something Jason’s seen him do a hundred times before, but in his current state of mind, it sends a far more intense feeling running through him than normal. A wave of hot, painful desire, born out of the very gut instinct Roy told him he should listen to now, outside of his mind’s doubts and discordant fear.

He knows what he wants. Perhaps he’s always known, ever since Dick first broached the topic, or even before that, when Dick got down on one knee in front of him and asked for them to spend the rest of their lives together. Not to mention, every time he looks at Damian, and laments the fact that he’s continuing to grow up so fast.

“You better not make me regret this,” he murmurs to his sleeping mate, before picking up his phone from the bedside table.

Scrolling through his contacts, he finds the number for Leslie’s clinic, then hits dial.

* * *

Dick thinks he may have had a little too much to drink. But then again, it is his birthday. His _thirtieth_ birthday, as a matter of fact, and if there’s any day of the year he should be allowed to cut loose a little, it’s this one.

The day had started out well, when Dick came home from patrol and woke Jason up by crawling under the blankets to eat him out as the precursor to some slow, lazy morning sex. After which he’d fallen asleep until mid-afternoon, only to then be jolted awake himself by Damian jumping on the bed, telling him in no uncertain terms that it was time to get up. There were presents waiting for him, and they had to get ready to go to the party soon.

Reluctantly at first, Dick had dragged himself out of bed, all while grumbling that since it was his birthday he should be allowed to sleep in as long as he wanted. But his disgruntlement had soon been washed away by Jason placing a plate of thickly sliced French toast in front of him at the table, alongside a large mug of his favourite coffee.

Damian had talked his ear off while he ate, visibly brimming with excitement to give him his gifts, and the moment Dick had cleared his plate dashed off to get them. Which was fine by Dick, as he used the opportunity to pull Jason down into his lap and steal sugar-dusted kisses from him until he got back.

They all opened his presents together, while Damian helpfully provided commentary on what each one was, even before Dick had gotten the wrapping paper off properly. There was a brand new biker jacket from Jason, made of beautiful black leather, alongside a matching pair of gloves from Damian (generously paid for out of his allowance, his son informed him imperiously, before pushing him to try them on).

There was also a portrait of himself in his Nightwing costume drawn by Damian, and that Dick is not ashamed to admit is probably his favourite gift he’s received today. Even above what Bruce and everyone else got him, because as it turned out, once they did finally make him up to the Manor, the biker jacket and gloves were only the first clues to a running theme.

The motorbike, which Bruce handed him the keys to almost the moment he stepped through the door, was sleek, deep blue, and thrumming with power. Dick had tried to protest that it was too much at first, but Bruce had just shaken his head at him.

“It’s not every day you turn thirty, Dick, and besides, it’s not just from me.” He gestured at Alfred, Tim, Steph, Cass, Barbara and Selina, who were all watching from the sidelines. “Everyone chipped in.”

He wasn’t too proud to keep saying no after that, despite knowing Bruce must still have contributed the lion’s share of the cost, and after taking at first one helter skelter ride on it with Jason laughing and hanging onto his waist behind him, followed by a second, far slower one with Damian, Dick had gladly secured the keys away in his pocket with the promise he’d take good care of it (better care anyway, than he had with the porsche Bruce had given him back when he turned eighteen).

Then the party started, filled not just with family, but all his friends from the Titans and the Justice League, too. Donna, Roy, Wally, Kori, Garth, Gar, Vic… even Raven was there, alongside Clark, Diana, Barry and others. Those with kids had brought them along as well, so Damian had plenty of friends to play with, and the weather was just warm enough to allow them to spill out into the Manor’s grounds rather than stay cooped up inside.

Dick loved every second of it. Loved seeing all his friends, talking and catching up in a way they rarely got to anymore, given how busy all their lives are. It was honestly a miracle that so many of them had been able to come at once, and so he’d done his best to show his appreciation to every person there while he could.

Which is, perhaps, why he’s in his current state of inebriation. It was hard to keep saying no when offered a drink by friends he hadn’t seen in a while, especially as the evening drew on and Jason, who had at first stuck to his side like glue, had politely excused himself to go hide in the kitchen with Alfred for a while away from all the noise. Dick, knowing Jason didn’t handle crowds and socialising well for more than a couple hours at most, understood perfectly well why he needed to do it, and so there was no complaint from him, but it had also meant he was left largely unsupervised for a good while, and now… well.

He doesn’t know at what point exactly everyone else had disappeared away from him, but if he is certain of one thing, it’s that the sofa in the den is reaaally comfortable.

“There you are.” a familiar voice says, and when Dick manages to roll over enough to look up, it’s to see Jason looking back down at him with an amused grin on his face. “I wondered where you’d disappeared off to. Roy was convinced I’d have to fish you out of the lake.”

Dick blinks slowly, trying to make sense of that. “The manor doesn’t have a lake.”

“That’s what I told him, but he wouldn’t listen to me. Probably because he was more drunk than you are before Kori dragged him up to bed.”

“They’re staying the night?” he asks, surprised.

Jason nods. “Alfred graciously decided to open some of the guest rooms for those who partook a little too much and didn’t anticipate needing a hotel in the city. Plus, Damian really wanted Lian to stay over. Bruce is about as thrilled as you can imagine about it.” Resting his hands on his hips, he arches an eyebrow down at Dick. “So, you gonna get up?”

“Mm,” Dick lets his eyes track down his body. From the top of Jason’s head all the way to his gloriously long legs. In recent years, Jason has become steadily more comfortable with expressing himself as an omega, rather than trying to hide it, to the point that tonight he’s actually dressed up for the occasion. The pants he’s wearing are black and tight enough to hug his thick thighs, while his red top is perfectly tailored to emphasise his curves instead of hide them. He has eyeliner on, as well as a choker that, perhaps deliberately, makes Dick think just a little too much of the leather collar Jason sometimes brings out to wear when they’re having sex. “Dunno, you might have to come down here and help me.”

“Oh really?” Jason’s amusement deepens. “And why would I do that?”

“It’s my birthday.” Dick says immediately, stretching one hand out to paw at his thigh. “My thirtieth birthday, and birthday boys get whatever they want.”

“Do they now?”

“Yep, it’s a rule. The biggest, big birthday rule.” Dick slides his hand higher, until it’s just shy of touching Jason’s ass as he bats his eyelashes at him. “Please, little wing?”

Jason tolerates it for about a second before shaking his head and sighing, “You’re so lucky you’re cute.”

Dick, having heard that statement from him countless times before, isn’t offended by it, and when Jason takes his hand to tug him upwards he can’t resist attempting to turn the hold against its intended purpose in order to pull his mate down onto the sofa beside him instead.

Except of course, Jason is completely prepared for that, knowing him far too well at this point to ever fall for such an obvious deception, and only tightens his grip in response.

“Jay,” he whines at the show of force, “C’mooon...”

“No,” Jason says, unimpressed. “I know exactly what you’re up to, Dick. This is a family couch and we are not having sex on it.”

“I don’t want to have sex on it,” Dick lies. “Just, y’know, make out a little.”

“We can make out upstairs on our bed,” Jason rolls his eyes as he successfully gets to Dick sit up. “Behind a locked door, where no one else is going to walk in on us or be traumatised by the scent we leave behind tomorrow morning.”

Dick scoffs, “No one would be traumatised.”

“I would be if it’s Bruce.” Another heave and Jason has him up on his feet. “Come on, we just need to get up the stairs, then you can do whatever you want to me.”

Well, if that’s the deal… Dick leans over, unable to resist draping his body against Jason’s and nipping at his neck. “Promise?”

Jason rolls his eyes, but Dick is pretty sure he detects a shiver running through him in response. “Yes, promise. Now _move_.”

It’s slow going up the stairs. Mostly because Dick’s feet seem to have developed a mind of their own in the time between now and this morning, catching and tripping on the edges of carpets and steps that he could normally avoid in his sleep. They do manage it, though, making it up to the second landing, then down the hall to what was formerly Dick’s room in the manor but is now _theirs_.

Once inside, Jason gives Dick a light shove towards the bed before making sure the door is firmly locked behind them. Damian isn’t given to running in and jumping on them now the way he did when he was younger, but it’s always worth it to cover the risk.

“Jay,” Dick purrs after he falls onto the bed, sprawling back on his elbows and grinning at his mate. “C’mere.”

“In a second, Dick.” Jason leans against the wall as he starts taking off his boots. “Fuck, you’re even more impatient when you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk,” Dick protests, watching him do even this mundane action greedily. “Just a little tipsy.”

“Right,” Standing up straight again, Jason smiles before sauntering over to the bed. “That’s why you couldn’t even walk up the stairs straight: tipsiness.”

Dick grins back at him, “Nah, that was just because I was too busy falling for you.”

Jason lets out a soft huff of amusement. “What have I told you about making puns in bed?”

“Not to, buuut…” Dick looks up at him slyly, “You also said I could do whatever I wanted to you tonight.”

“And your go-to with that is bad jokes. Great, I’m already regretting it.”

Before Dick can say anything else, Jason climbs over him, straddling his legs. Dick can feel his mouth start to water as he looks up at him, breathing in that familiar, honey-wine scent, thickened by the opening notes of arousal.

“Fuck,” he murmurs, instantly distracted, “You’re so beautiful.”

Jason smiles down at him. The expected blush across his cheeks at the compliment isn’t as deep as it used to be, but it’s still there as he leans forward to kiss him. “Still want to make bad jokes at me?”

“Mm, maybe later.” Dick licks his lips, reaching his hands up to touch Jason’s hips. It’s easy to push his fingers beneath the hem of his mate’s shirt to touch warm skin, then up further to his waist. “Kiss me again?”

“That an order or a request?”

“Jasooon…”

Jason laughs, but a second later Dick gets what he wants: the wonderful softness of familiar lips against his own. They spend a few minutes like that, lazily kissing, before with an insistent roll of his hips Dick flips them over, pressing Jason down onto his back and positioning himself between his legs. From there his kisses migrate downwards, from Jason’s mouth to his neck, where he lets his tongue trace over the edges of the choker he’s wearing.

“Mm, like that do you?”

Dick growls lightly against his neck. “You knew I would. You wore it on purpose, to remind me of the collar.”

“You can’t prove that.” Dick can tell Jason’s smirking just by the tone of his voice.

“Maybe not in a court of law...” Dick says, before biting down lightly, causing Jason to gasp. “You’re wearing too many clothes, little wing.”

Jason recovers quickly, and snorts before pushing at him with his hands. “If you want ‘em off, you’re going to have to sit up a moment.”

That is both a good and terrible point. Dick groans dramatically as he weighs the benefits of getting Jason naked against the cons of breaking contact with him for a moment, before reluctantly deciding in this case the discomfort will be worth the reward.

He sits up but doesn’t take his hands away from his mate. Instead he slides them higher under Jason’s shirt, tugging the material up over his stomach and abs, until it’s almost catching beneath his armpits. “Arms up.”

“I’m not a child, Dick.” Jason rolls his eyes. He still does it anyway, lifting his arms up and arching his shoulders off the bed to allow Dick to tug his shirt up over his head. Once done, Dick tosses it aside, and takes a moment just to regard his mate: the many glorious inches of smooth and scarred skin bared beneath him.

Without hesitation, he runs his fingers over Jason’s stomach, up his abs and his chest, stopping briefly to brush his thumbs against his nipples, then over his shoulders and down his arms. He looks extra delicious like this: laid back, warm and open, with his eyes hooded and his hair mussed from the shirt being pulled off. The black fabric of the choker sits starkly against the pale skin of his throat, and Dick wants nothing more than to bite into it and hold on the whole way through.

“You’re so beautiful,” he says again, dumbly, because he doesn’t know what else to say. His brain can’t formulate anything more eloquent at the moment, wrung out as he is from drinking and talking all night. He’s grateful suddenly for this, this quiet now, where it’s just him and Jason together. He loves it more than anything else. More than flying, fighting, running. More than—

His fingers catch the rough edge of something as they trail up and down Jason’s left bicep. Not a scar but something else. Dick stops what he’s doing to look at it, blinking when he finds a bandaid as the cause.

“Hey, what happened here?” he asks, distracted despite himself and Jason’s ever enticing scent. He’s fairly certain it wasn’t there when they made love this morning.

The light flush that’s been present on Jason’s face ever since he got on the bed deepens from soft pink to rose red. His shoulders shift with a sudden discomfort, and Dick can feel the way his thighs tighten their grip where they’re spread about his hips as well.

“I told you I’d have a decision for you by your birthday.” he mutters.

“What?” Dick tilts his head, not following.

The discomfort momentarily phases into exasperation on Jason’s face. He sighs lightly, before lifting his right hand up and sliding it into Dick’s hair to scratch his fingers over his scalp. Dick leans his head into the touch like a cat while he waits for him to explain.

“I went to see Leslie today while you were sleeping,” Jason eventually says, then when Dick’s eyes widen with concern, quickly shakes his head. “Not for anything you need to worry about. Just…” He breathes in deep, as if bracing himself. “I asked her to remove my contraceptive implant.”

Long seconds pass as Dick’s brain processes that. As dots connect and he flashes back to the question and conversations he’s done his level best over the past week to not think about after Jason asked him for space regarding them, because to let himself dwell on the possibility only to hear a ‘no’ in the end would have been too big a disappointment to handle.

“You…” His heart is suddenly jackhammering inside his chest. “You serious?”

“No, I let the doc cut me open just to fuck with you.” Jason rolls his eyes, before blushing redder. “Of course I’m serious, you dolt.”

“You want to have a baby with me.” Dick says. “You really…”

“Wanting was never actually the problem,” Jason admits, running his thumb over the rim of Dick’s ear. “All the other shit was. I have some conditions, though.”

“Of course you do.” Dick wouldn’t expect anything different from Jason, but whatever those conditions may be, they don’t overshadow the fact that Jason has already agreed. That he’s even gone so far as to get rid of his birth control before telling Dick that, stating without words how committed he is to going ahead with this.

All at once, joy and excitement rise inside Dick like a fountain, driving away whatever stupor the alcohol left in him. He feels more awake now than he has done all day, despite the late hour, and before Jason can say anything else, Dick takes hold of the hand in his hair, drawing it down so he can press kisses to Jason’s fingers, his palm, his wrist.

“A baby,” he says, “We’re going to have a baby. A little me and a little you.”

“Another baby,” Jason responds, shuddering at the touch.

“A little brother or sister for Damian.” Dick agrees, extending his kisses further down Jason’s arm, then giving in and just dropping his entire body weight back down onto him so that their mouths can connect. He kisses him firm and sweet, taking his time to sweep his tongue in between Jason’s lips and taste every corner of his mouth before declaring, “I’ve changed my mind. Screw the motorbike, _this_ is the best birthday present I’ve had today.”

“Don’t tell Bruce that,” Jason says, though Dick can see he’s clearly fighting a smile of his own. “He had it custom-made for you.”

“I’m sure he’ll get over it when he has another grandchild to spoil.” Dick nips at Jason’s jaw, then kisses over his cheek to his ear. “God, I love you.”

Jason squirms a little under him at those last words, his already deep and heady scent clouding thicker. “I know,” he says, quieter and softer than Dick’s own declaration, “I love you too.”

Dick beams against his ear, then angling his head just a little more to the right, drags his tongue directly over Jason’s scent gland.

“Fuck!” The effect is immediate, as Jason gasps and moans, his entire body arching up in response against Dick’s. He’s still so sensitive, no matter how many times they do this, and the effect is even greater when Dick repeats the action, drinking up the taste of pheromones from his mate’s skin like nectar. “Fuck, Dick, wait. I haven’t even told you my—”

“Tell me in the morning,” he says. Growls, actually, because now instinct is coming into play, buoyed along by Dick’s increasingly overactive imagination. All he can think about in light of this news is images of his mate, warm and content in their den with a swollen belly, or further along still, with a newborn pup held safe against his chest. “Whatever conditions you have, I’ll agree to them then. Right now, all I want to do is make love to you.”

“You may wish you hadn’t said that tomorrow,” Jason manages, body trembling in response. But a moment later his hands are sliding up under the back of Dick’s shirt, and he drags his nails down across his skin at the same time he rolls their hips together, causing Dick to moan in turn. “Just don’t make me regret this, Grayson. All right?”

Dick’s not so far gone yet that he doesn’t realise Jason isn’t talking about the sex with that sentence.

“I won’t,” he reassures him wholeheartedly. “I’d never…Nothing means more to me than you. Than Damian. Our pack.”

“I know.” Dick hears Jason swallow thickly, before he turns his head, rubbing his nose against Dick’s cheek. “Well? What are you waiting for, a written invitation?”

Grinning, Dick kisses him again, then hurriedly sets about removing the rest of their clothes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. So things are a bit rough out there at the moment, and I figured you all might like some a little fluffier to perk you up this week. Hope you enjoy <3

Jason wakes up to the familiar feeling of being watched, and immediately knows the culprit behind it.

“Stop that.” he murmurs, refusing to open his eyes for the moment. But the feeling continues, forcing him to sigh, “Dick, I mean it. Cut it out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” his mate says from behind him, far too chipper for this time of morning, as well as the amount he drank last night.

“You, grinning like an idiot at me.” Jason says. “I know you’re doing it.”

“You can’t even see me, Jay.”

“Maybe not, but I know what you’re like. You’ve got that tone in your voice.”

“Oh have I? Didn’t know you could tell my expression just by my _tone_ now.”

A hand slides up Jason’s naked chest, fingers rubbing cheekily over his nipple, before he feels Dick’s teeth nip lightly at his jaw. The action makes him hum happily despite himself, arching back into the comforting warmth of his mate’s body, still sticky and thick with the scent of sex from last night. “You broadcast more than you think, boy wonder. At least when you’re in bed.”

That earns him a laugh, and when Dick shifts himself up onto his elbow, Jason finally does him the courtesy of rolling onto his back and opening his eyes. He was right, of course, the idiot is smiling. Broad and happy like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“How the fuck are you not hung over?” he demands.

“Talent?” Dick offers, which is the least satisfactory response he could have given. Jason rolls his eyes at him before accepting a kiss. “Or maybe I’m just too excited to care.”

Jason groans at the reminder. “Dick, I haven’t even had a drink yet.”

“You said you wanted to talk.” Dick responds, pouting.

“Last _night_. Not first thing in the fucking morning.” He raises his eyebrow when Dick continues to pout. “Don’t look at me like that, you were the one who insisted I hold off, not me.”

Dick blinks, then groans as that particular memory comes back to him. “Shit, guess I did. Not that I’m complaining, though.” His hand slides back down Jason’s chest to his belly. “Last night was amazing.”

Amazing is one word for it. Jason can feel his cheeks warm at the position of Dick’s hand. “Is that so?”

“Mmhm.” Dick’s expression softens as he looks at him.

Jason can only stand it for a few seconds before giving in. “Urgh, fine. If you go get me some tea, I guess we can talk about it now.”

The smile jumps back onto Dick’s face like the sun parting the clouds. Leaning down, he kisses him hard and messy on the mouth before throwing back the covers, causing Jason to yelp at the sudden rush of cool air across his bare skin. He throws a pillow at Dick in retaliation, but all it does is make his mate laugh.

“Put on some clothes, jackass!”

“Way ahead of you, little wing.”

After he leaves, Jason has a few minutes of peace and quiet to himself, which he spends first by visiting the bathroom, then wrapping himself back up in the blankets and squinting uncharitably at the time displayed on his phone. It’s not as early as it could be, but still earlier than he’d like after the night before. The kids are probably already up, though the fact that Damian hasn’t come knocking at their door suggests that someone else has taken charge of them instead. Most likely Alfred or Roy.

Jason doesn’t feel as guilty about that as he used to. At this age, all Damian really needs is to be fed in the morning, then he’ll entertain himself, especially with Lian around.

A fact he now realises he should probably focus on enjoying while he can, because potentially in just a year’s time…

The door opens again, and he rolls over in his blanket cocoon to see Dick come back through with not just a couple of mugs, but a whole breakfast tray in hand.

“You look like a giant burrito.” he says, grinning. “Here, Alfred insisted I bring up some toast.”

Jason growls lightly at him, but when Dick bounces onto the bed and places the tray down, he reluctantly sits up just enough to reach for the nearest mug. It smells heavenly, and he allows himself a few seconds just to inhale before taking the first sip.

Barely a moment after he’s finished doing that, Dick is holding a piece of buttery, golden toast in front of his mouth. Jason sighs and looks up into his face. Apparently it’s going to be that kind of morning.

“I can feed myself.” he says.

“I know,” As always, Dick’s grin is shameless. “But I like doing it.”

There’s a brief pause as Jason weighs the pros and cons of fighting him on this today (of fighting the oldest parts of him, that still cling to independence as a matter of survival, no matter how small the concession), then gives in. Fuck it, with what he’s agreed to now, he can stand to let Dick spoil him and satiate his alpha instincts a little.

Parting his lips, he takes a bite of the toast, and it’s immediately worth it for the way Dick’s face lights up afterwards. They spend the next ten minutes like that, sharing breakfast and sipping their respective drinks until finally it’s all gone and Dick is setting the tray aside, only to then open his arms and tug Jason back in against his chest.

He goes willingly, almost purring as strong fingers start to card through his hair. It would be nice just to stay like this for the rest of the day, but of course Dick is still focused on having that conversation. A fact he reminds him of not a minute later.

“So, you said you have some conditions?”

Jason sucks on his teeth briefly. Last night, Dick had said he’d agree to them no matter what they were, but he’d been drunk then. It’s hard to say how happy he’ll be with Jason’s requests now.

“A few,” he admits reluctantly, running his fingers over the collar of Dick’s shirt. “Mostly just in regards to the early stuff.”

He feels Dick’s chin rest in his hair. “I’m listening.”

Jason takes in a deep breath. They’re stupid really, mostly just for his own comfort, and he knows he’s probably worrying needlessly about this but… “First of all, I don’t want you telling anyone we’re trying for a baby.”

“Other than Roy, you mean?”

Jason grimaces. Of course Dick would know about that (or just plain guess he’s been talking to their mutual best friend about this), but he takes some comfort in that there’s also no immediate sign of displeasure in his voice or scent when he says it. Just amusement. “Hey, you were the one who introduced us. But yes, other than Roy. Him knowing will be bad enough. I don’t want everyone else pestering me with questions after every heat about whether I’m pregnant yet.”

“I can understand that.” Dick hums in soft agreement. “Fair enough. What else?”

“I don’t want you telling people the moment I do get pregnant, either.”

That does earn him a bit more of a pause. “Why not?” Dick asks, confusion sliding into his scent.

Jason sighs, “Because as soon as they know, everyone will start trying to fuss over me. I don’t want to be treated like an invalid for the whole nine months, being told I can’t do this or do that. I know everyone will find out eventually, especially once my scent starts changing but I… I want to keep things normal, for as long as I can, first.”

Dick’s hand slips from his hair to his back. Out of the top of the vision, Jason can make out his chin as Dick tries to move his head enough to look at his face. “Jay, no one’s going to treat you like an invalid.”

“Aren’t they?” He bites his lip. “Seems like that’s all that does happen to omegas when they’re carrying. Even Talia made me stop doing any physical training when I was pregnant with Damian and restricted me to theoretical stuff instead.”

For a second, Dick’s grip on him tightens, and Jason silently curses himself when he realises why. Even after all these years, just the mere mention of Talia’s name is enough to get Dick riled up, despite the fact that Jason himself has more or less been able to put that particular unpleasantness behind him. It’s an alpha thing, completely. Something Jason wavers between finding irritating or charming depending on the day, but this time at least, Dick is able to keep a handle on it.

Mostly.

“Just because she did it, doesn’t mean we will.” he says. “And… whatever I think about her, I’m sure she was only acting out of concern for you and Damian. Wanting you to be safe and healthy. That’s instinct, Jay. The pack looks out for each other.” Warm lips press to Jason’s forehead. “I know you hate feeling weak in any way, but I promise you, none of us think of you like that. We know you’re strong. And the only thing I—_we_ are going to want to do when you’re pregnant is spoil you. Make sure you know how much we love and value you, and how excited we are to have a new family member coming.”

“Pretty words, Dick.”

“Honest ones.” his mate corrects him. “And if any of us do start to make you feel otherwise, you have my full support to punch them.”

Jason blinks, then snorts. “Even if it’s you?”

“_Especially_ if it’s me, since I’m the one who’s supposed to know you best.” Dick’s fingers find his chin, tilting Jason’s head up, and when their eyes meet his gaze is penetratingly soft. “You know it’s okay to rely on us.”

He hates when Dick looks at him like that. Or… no, he doesn’t, but he does. He…

“I know.” he manages after a moment, resisting the urge to do something impulsive like kiss him just to shut off this whole conversation. Only it’s not done yet. There’s still more he needs to say first. “That’s not the only reason I don’t want to tell everyone right away, though.”

“No?” Dick bumps their noses together. “What’s the other reason?”

Jason draws in a deep breath. “Because… Look, with Damian I didn’t have control. I mean, I made decisions, but I…” He clenches his jaw. “I just want it to be ours for a while. Ours and no one else’s. We’re the ones having this kid, and everyone else can just… wait their turn.”

He didn’t think it was possible for Dick’s expression to get any warmer, but as usual, he underestimates the boy wonder. If looks could melt, Jason would be dripping through the floor right now. Actually, he might just do that anyway as Dick leans in and kisses him with the kind of tenderness he usually only reserves for their most intimate moments. “Me too.”

“Really?” Jason responds, because he hates himself, apparently. He can feel how red his face is, and the grip he has on Dick’s shirt is tighter than ever.

Dick huffs slightly, somewhere between amused and fond exasperation. “_Yes_. Just because I have that alpha urge to show off how amazing you are and that you’re mine at every opportunity, doesn’t mean I don’t also sometimes want the opposite as well.” His fingers slip down to caress Jason’s throat. “You’re my mate, no one else’s, and this is going to be _our_ kid. That’s what matters to me most, not everyone else’s reaction. I think we’ve both got a right to be selfish here, at least for a little bit.”

Well, doesn’t that just make him feel like an asshole for ever assuming Dick would have a problem with this particular request. Jason swallows thickly, leaning into the touch, “Sorry, I’m a jackass.”

“Only sometimes.” Dick’s lips twitch before he kisses him again. “It’s okay, little wing. I know how big a deal doing this is for you, especially with the experience you had with Damian. I’d honestly be more concerned if you _didn’t_ bring some concerns like this up with me. And...” He looks slightly bashful. “It’s not like I haven’t given you a precedent on that assumption before.”

“Still…” Jason mutters, squirming self-consciously. He’s supposed to be better than this now. He keeps telling himself he’s better, and yet… Shaking his head, he forces himself past it. “Fine, just so long as you’re okay with it.”

“I am.” Dick’s fingers brush higher, now dangerously close to teasing his scent gland. “So, is that everything?”

Jason is tempted to say it is, but no, there is one more thing he needs to talk about with him. Something he can’t afford to put aside, no matter how much he wants to.

“Not quite.” He shifts, leaning back a little. “This isn’t really a condition, it’s…” He sighs, “Look, Dick, you know I was on suppressants for a long time. Way longer than anyone is supposed to be. And sure, once I stopped taking them my heats came back like fucking clockwork, but that doesn’t mean there might not be some lingering effect.”

“Jason…” he starts to say.

“No, I… I just need you to understand and be prepared for if this doesn’t happen right away. It could take a few heats. It could take a year.” Or if he really has fucked himself over, even longer than that. Jason would love to believe that getting pregnant this time around will be as easy as it was with Damian, but after all the warnings he got from Leslie before he was finally able to bring himself to come off the suppressants, he has to be realistic. So does Dick. “All I’m saying is, don’t get your hopes up that this will be an instant thing.”

He can see the way Dick’s jaw clenches at the words, and he knows, just knows, immediately, that his mate had built that fantasy for himself in his head. Probably not intentionally, but Dick has a habit of getting carried away once he’s fixated on an idea. It was one of the reasons why, when he’d first broached this topic between them, Jason had made his mate promise not to pressure him. Not to rush ahead with what could be before they’d even made an agreement to try.

This is an extension of that. He needs Dick to not hover over him after every future heat. Or worse, look like a kicked puppy if and when a test comes up negative, because Jason doesn’t think he’ll be able to stand it if he does. Not when he’ll be kicking himself hard enough as it is.

He was afraid and he was stupid. And even more than that, he’d never seen himself being at this point back then, with a loving mate who actually wants to do this with him intentionally.

“I’ll try,” is what Dick eventually says. “I’ll try not to. I can’t promise I won’t get excited when your heat comes. Hell, I’m excited now, but… I can be patient about this, however long it takes. I promise.”

“It’s not like it’s always a sure thing with omegas who haven’t done what I did, anyway.” Jason shrugs, not sure who he’s trying to make feel better with that more: himself or Dick.

Dick shakes his head in response. “I don’t care about how it is for other omegas in this, Jay, I care about _you_. You comfort, your happiness.” With an easy tug, he draws Jason back in, before pressing his mouth against the corner of his jaw and inhaling deeply. “It’s going to be fine, I know it is. And I’m still so damn happy that you want this with me as well. I’ll do anything I can to make you feel more comfortable in the meantime.”

The knot of tension loosens itself in his chest. With a low sigh, Jason allows himself to close his eyes and enjoy the sensation. “Anything, huh?”

Dick huffs a laugh, before suddenly licking a stripe up to Jason’s ear. “Within reason.”

Fuck. Jason inhales sharply, then turns his head to kiss him. “Thanks, Dick.”

“Anytime, little wing.” Dick smiles. “So hey, now we’ve got the heavy stuff out of the way, why don’t we talk about some of the fun things?”

“Fun things?” Jason asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, like… do you want a girl or a boy? Alpha, beta, omega?”

Jason honestly hasn’t given even a single thought to that. “Don’t think I care, so long as they come out healthy. Not like we’ve got any control over what designation they’ll have anyway.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time theorising.” Dick grins. “Me, I’ve kind of got my fingers crossed for a pretty little omega girl. We’ve already got an alpha boy in Damian, might be fun to have something different this time around.”

“You’d be a terror with an omega pup.” Jason says, drawn into the topic despite himself. “Probably be safer to hope for a beta. Or maybe another alpha.”

“I don’t know, I hear alpha siblings can be competitive. Wally always says that about his kids.”

“I’d hope Damian would have the sense not to get competitive with a baby that’s going to be at least nine years younger than he is.” Jason says dryly. But then again, competitiveness can come in a lot of forms. The pursuit of attention from one’s parents, for example. He shakes his head. “When it happens, we need to make sure we tell him first. Before anyone else.”

“Yeah, I know.” Dick nods in instant agreement. “I really think so long as we spin it right, he’ll be more excited by the news than anything else.”

“Probably not more than he’d be for a new puppy.” Jason drops his head back down against Dick’s chest with a groan.

“Oh no, nothing would get that kid more excited than a puppy,” Dick chuckles, “But a sibling might come a close second.”

“Mm.” he closes his eyes as Dick’s fingers start to play with his hair again. “Feels surreal that we’re actually doing this.”

“Like normal people.” Dick’s tone is both wondering and affectionate. “Yeah.”

Like normal people… Meaning it’s something that’s planned out. An ordinary, natural life decision, born out of ordinary, natural desires. Not the result of some madman’s plot or a grand cosmic crisis, an untimely heat or lashing out at a failing parent. Just something that they want because they love each other. Because they love their family and their son, and they want to expand on that.

Yet another thing the Jason of yesteryear never would have let himself dream of, let alone think would actually come to pass.

For a solid minute, he just allows himself to bask in that knowledge and the sense of security it brings, before reluctantly starting to push himself up out of Dick’s grasp. “We should get up.”

“Probably,” Dick hums, before his expression turns sly and he nudges a thigh between Jason’s legs. “Or, if you want, we could stay in bed a little longer and practice our baby making skills, just in case.”

He can’t help but snort at the remark. “Is that really going to be your excuse any time you want sex now?”

“Practice makes perfect, Jay.”

“If that’s true, I already deserve a fucking Olympic gold medal at this point with you.”

Dick kisses him again, a little more firmly and with obvious intent behind it as his hand slides down to grip Jason’s bare ass beneath the blankets, causing him to gasp (and maybe even whine a little).

“Damian…”

“He’s fine. He and Lian are trying to kill each other with video games.” Dick soothes him, before his fingers dip lower and lower and… Jason has to bite his lip, slick enough from last night still that there’s no resistance there. “We can be lazy a little longer.”

There’s nothing lazy about what Dick’s proposing, but he’s not about to complain about that. Not when it’s far easier to roll his hips back against his fingers and return the ever sloppier kisses his mate is offering him.

* * *

Damian’s parents don’t come downstairs until almost eleven, when he and Lian are on what might be their tenth round of Mario Kart, since they already got bored with Smash Bros. an hour ago.

He’s not really surprised. His mom and dad always sleep later when they stay at his Grandpa’s house, even though at home one of them always gets up when he does, despite his own attempted insistence that he’s no longer a baby and can take care of himself in a morning. It’s not usually quite this late, though. But then again, it was his dad’s birthday yesterday, and judging by the state of Lian’s mom (who’d stumbled downstairs at nine only to fall asleep again on the sofa behind them) it seems like most every adult but Alfred, his grandpa and Aunt Kori stayed up way later than their normal bedtimes for the party.

Which is a bit odd to think, since as superheroes most of them have really late bedtimes anyway. Bedtimes that make his mom or his dad, depending on who went out on a night, sleep in till almost 3 o’clock in the afternoon sometimes. Or on a few bad occasions, even later than _that_.

Damian doesn’t know how they do it. He’s tried himself before, without his mom knowing of course, to stay up until his dad came home from patrol, but at the most only managed to make it two or three hours past when he usually goes to bed before falling asleep. Which is annoying, because he doesn’t know how else he’s going to convince them he can also do what they do otherwise.

Lian thinks they should try to stay up together when they have a sleepover sometime. That it’ll work better if they’re both there to keep each other awake, and Damian is mostly in agreement with her. That they both want to be superheroes like their parents one day is a shared goal between them, even if Damian thinks he’s the one with a better chance at doing it, since Robin already runs in his family as an inherited role, and his Uncle Tim (sort of) moved on from the name a year ago.

Batman needs Robin, and right now his Grandpa doesn’t have one. That's why Damian is determined to be the next person to take on the position. All he has to do is get a bit older and convince his mom he’s ready first.

“Morning, monsters.” While he’s thinking about this, his mom sits down next to him, glancing with interest at the screen. “Who’s winning?”

“Me.” Lian says at once, smugly, prompting Damian to bare his teeth at her in friendly challenge.

“Only in this race. I’m winning overall.”

“Are you now?” His mom’s hand comes up to touch his hair, smoothing back his hair in a way he both loves and finds annoying sometimes, at least when he’s around his friends. “Good job. Just make sure to keep it friendly between you two, okay?”

“I know, Mom.” Damian rolls his eyes. At the same time, he catches a whiff of his mom’s scent from behind him. Warm and happy, like a thick blanket. It makes him think, briefly, of being smaller, and able to tuck himself more easily into his mother’s side. Of being squished between his parents on the couch during movie nights, or when they’re out doing something fun at the weekend. “But I’m still going to win the most.”

“No, you won’t.” Lian sticks her tongue out at him, and Damian does it back to her while his mom laughs.

“Well, you’ve both got about twenty more minutes to decide that. Then we’re going home.”

“What, already?” Damian protests, while Lian makes a similarly dismayed sound.

“Yes, already.” His mom pinches his cheek. “Don’t act like you two have barely seen each other. We’ve been here since yesterday afternoon, and we do all have to go home sometime.”

“But my mom’s still asleep.” Lian says.

“Don’t worry,” his mom snorts, “Dick’s working on that.”

As if on cue, Damian hears a yelp and muffled curse from his Uncle Roy behind him, but doesn’t take his eyes away from the screen, else he knows Lian really will win. “Come on, Mom, can’t we stay another hour at least? Please?”

Too late, Lian crosses the finish line first, and finally Damian looks up behind him at his mother’s face. The expression he finds there is strangely… soft, and warm. Combined with the scent his mom is currently putting out, it makes him feel… not like a baby, exactly, because he’s not a baby anymore, but it does remind him again of being smaller. Safe and loved and protected.

Maybe he communicates some of that too, in his own way, because after a minute, his mom sighs before smiling indulgently. “Another hour, but that’s it, okay?”

“Okay.” they both chime together, before starting the next round.

Curiously, though, Damian’s mom doesn’t leave them to it like he usually does. Instead, he stays by them, watching and petting Damian’s hair, or giving him quiet whispers of encouragement.

It’s a bit embarrassing next to Lian, but also good. Very good. So Damian only protests a little bit while focusing on winning the tournament.

Whatever kept his parents in bed so late, it can’t have been a bad thing. Not when it left his mom in this good a mood.

**Author's Note:**

> [My tumblr](https://firefrightfic.tumblr.com/)


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